Morocco’s football federation (FRMF) announced on Tuesday it would appeal the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) disciplinary rulings over last month’s chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal, which the hosts lost 1-0 after extra time.

FRMF criticised the sanctions as disproportionate to the “seriousness and gravity” of the incidents during the 18 January match, which was overshadowed by a 14-minute interruption after Senegalese players staged a walk-off, a pitch invasion by their fans and confrontations involving players and staff.

CAF’s Disciplinary Committee handed Senegal’s coach Pape Thiaw a five-match ban and fined him $100,000 (£82,000) after he instructed his team to leave the pitch following a VAR decision to disallow a goal late in regular time.

Senegal’s football federation was fined $615,000 (£508,000) for the behaviour of their players and supporters, with Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr receiving two-match bans for unsporting actions directed at the referee.

Morocco, whose appeal to have the match result overturned was rejected by CAF, were also hit with sanctions totalling $315,000 (£260,000).

Their penalties relate to what CAF described as misconduct by Moroccan players, staff, and supporters, including the use of laser pointers and improper intervention in the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) area.

Captain Achraf Hakimi was handed a two-match suspension, one of which is suspended for a year, while Ismael Saibari was banned for three games, with both players penalised for attempting to remove Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s towel in heavy rain conditions.

“The FRMF will appeal the decisions in order to safeguard all rights guaranteed by law,” said a statement issued by the federation, which specifically cited “the withdrawal of Senegalese players and the conduct of their supporters” during the final as grounds for contesting the rulings.

CAF, however, described the tournament as a success overall, highlighting record revenues despite the controversy surrounding the final.

CAF confirmed the sanctions will apply to its competitions, further souring the conclusion to what Morocco had hoped would be a triumphant campaign on home soil.

-Reuters

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Egypt has formally indicated its intention to host a future edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, with plans to bid for either the 2032 or 2036 tournament.

According to Egyptian publication Ahram, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) decided during a meeting held on Sunday, where key strategic issues concerning the country’s football development were reviewed.

The meeting covered preparations for the Egyptian national team ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, as well as the EFA’s long-term roadmap extending to 2038. As part of its World Cup build-up, Egypt will play Saudi Arabia in a friendly on March 26, before facing Spain four days later. The Pharaohs are also scheduled to take on Brazil in June, shortly before the World Cup begins.

During the same meeting, the EFA presented Egypt’s intention to bid for the 2032 or 2036 Africa Cup of Nations at the request of the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Last month, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that the Africa Cup of Nations would move to a four-year hosting cycle, starting with the 2028 edition, thus opening the door for long-term bidding plans by interested nations.

Egypt is one of Africa’s most experienced AFCON hosts, having staged the tournament five times previously—in 1959, 1974, 1986, 2006 and most recently in 2019. The North African nation is now seeking to add a sixth hosting to its rich continental football history.

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Raymond Hack, the former Chairman of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Disciplinary Committee, has launched a scathing critique of the sanctions imposed over the incidents that marred the Africa Cup of Nations final between hosts Morocco and Senegal, describing the rulings as weak and damaging to the image of African football.

Hack, South African, placed primary responsibility for the chaos on Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw, insisting that CAF failed to properly address the root cause of the unrest that followed a controversial VAR decision during the final.

“I have reviewed the CAF Disciplinary Committee’s decision, and I must be frank: I feel they have let African football down with this ruling,” Hack said. “The entire incident stemmed from the conduct of the Senegalese coach. Everything that happened was triggered by this individual leading his players off the pitch and preventing them from continuing the match.”

CAF had sanctioned Senegal with a $300,000 fine and imposed a five-match suspension on Thiaw from official CAF competitions. However, Hack argued that the punishment was neither proportionate nor effective as a deterrent.

“Imposing a $300,000 fine along with a five-match suspension is, in my view, an incorrect decision,” he said. “When players step onto the pitch, they understand that the referee’s decision is final. Whether the referee is right, wrong or even biased, you are obliged to comply.”

According to Hack, the coach’s actions inflamed tensions on and off the pitch, provoking confrontations involving players from both teams and reactions from supporters — scenes he said should never be tolerated in elite competition.

He also criticised the match officials for failing to take firmer action during the incident, particularly against players who surrounded and confronted the referee during the VAR review.

“Red cards should have been shown,” Hack said. “The fact that these players received only two-match suspensions for bringing the game into disrepute is hardly significant. A player sent off or suspended for yellow cards normally misses two matches anyway.”

Hack warned that the decision could set a dangerous precedent for discipline in African football, especially given the status of coaches as role models.

“The coach is a figure everyone looks up to — especially children,” he noted. “Now people are asking: if this is how CAF handles such matters, what should we expect going forward?”

He further questioned the financial impact of the sanctions, pointing out that the fines pale in comparison to the prize money awarded at the tournament.

“When the winning team received $10 million, and the runner-up earned $4 million, a $300,000 fine becomes almost negligible,” Hack said. “Personally, I would have called for a suspension of no less than six months from all football-related activities.”

Hack also took issue with the fact that Thiaw remains eligible to participate in future competitions, including the World Cup, describing this as “completely inappropriate” and a signal that CAF is not firm enough in enforcing discipline.

“This sends the wrong message,” he said. “CAF has worked hard to improve its image, but the chairperson of the committee had the option to impose far heavier sanctions in order to restore confidence in the system.”

While stressing that he was not excusing the conduct of either team, Hack maintained that the disciplinary process fell short of what was required.

“I am not justifying the behaviour of the Moroccan or Senegalese players — what they did was entirely wrong,” he said. “But I firmly believe that stricter measures should have been taken against all parties involved.”

CAF is yet to respond publicly to Hack’s comments, which are likely to reignite debate over governance, accountability and disciplinary consistency within African football.

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